We're now on our third pass through all 366 of these day-by-day listings. We're regularly adding to them, expanding them, enhancing them and, of course, spotting errors and typos. Bear with us and we continue to improve your user experience.

US Theaters of Operations used in our listings

ETO

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European Theater of Operations

MTO

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Mediterranean Theater of Operations

PTO

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Pacific Theater of Operations

CBI

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China-Burma-India Theater

Random WWII Store pick...

What Happened to You Lazy Lou?

Paperback (96 pages)

A week before Christmas in 1944 and within minutes of take off from their base in England, two american aircraft collided in a tragic unnecessary accident, killing well decorated combat veterans and mortally wounding a beloved mascot.

Random WWII Store pick...

Band of Brothers

DVD 6-discs, Blu-ray

This must-have, powerful HBO miniseries takes you into the hellish heart of war like nothing else, following the men of Easy Company of the 101st Airborne as they take part in some of the most difficult battles of the European war.

1937 — , June 6

Spain: Day 325 of 985 of the Spanish Civil War.

1938 — , June 6

Germany: Laws are enacted to exclude Jews from commercial and industrial jobs.

Spain: Day 690 of 985 of the Spanish Civil War.

CBI - China: Day 335 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.

Day 120 of 124 of the Battle of Henan.

1939 — , June 6

USA: The passenger ship ST LOUIS, with 907 Jewish refugees aboard, begins her return trip to Europe after Cuba and the US have refused her permission to dock.

CBI - China: Day 700 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.

CBI - Mongolia: Day 27 of 129 of the Battle of Khalkhin Gol, a border dispute between the Soviet Union and Japan.

1940 — , June 6

UK: Production of hundreds of household goods are banned in Britain. All Germans and Austrians living in the UK are ordered to surrender their privately-owned radios.

Atlantic: German sub U-46 sinks the British armed merchant cruiser HMS CARINTHIA off the coast of Ireland.

ETO - UK: The Luftwaffe raids many areas along the east coast of England.

ETO - Norway: Day 59 of 63 of the Battle of Norway. About 15,000 Allied troops have left Narvik heading to Britain.

ETO - France: Day 28 of 44 of the Battle of France. German tanks break through the French line in two places on the Somme and penetrate 20 miles into French territory. Using obsolete guns, the French fight surprisingly well and destroy many tanks.

1941 — , June 6

Atlantic: Italian sub MARCONI sinks the British ship BARON LOVAT and Swedish ship TABERG 350 miles west of Gibraltar.

Atlantic: German sub U-43 sinks the Dutch ship YSELHAVEN 930 miles northwest of the Azores. Three hours later, 630 miles northwest of the Azores, U-48 sinks the British ship TREGARTHEN.

Atlantic: German sub U-106 sinks the British ship SACRAMENTO VALLEY 250 miles west of Cape Verde Islands.

Germany: Hitler issues a directive which calls for the summary execution of all Soviet political commissars attached to the Soviet Army. Most German Army commanders will ignore this immoral order because it contradicts German customs and traditions.

MTO - Libya: Day 58 of 256 of the Siege of Tobruk.

East Africa: Day 362 of 537 of Italy's East African campaign in the lands south of Egypt.

CBI - China: Day 1,431 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.

1942 — , June 6

UK: John Winant speaks to a group of British coal miners in Durham and dissuades them from going on strike.

Russian Front - North: Day 33 of 658 of the Siege of the Kholm Pocket.

Russian Front - Center: Day 9 of 31 of Operation KREMLIN, a German diversion to trick the Soviets into thinking Moscow is their main objective instead of Stalingrad and the Caucasus.

Russian Front - South: Day 220 of 248 of the Siege of Sevastopol, Crimean Peninsula.

MTO - Libya: Day 12 of 27 of the Battle of Gazala. The RAF starts using their new Hurricane fighters fitted with dual 40mm cannons against German tanks.

East Africa: Day 33 of 186 of the Battle of Madagascar.

CBI - China: Day 1,796 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.

Day 23 of 124 of Japan's Zhejiang-Jiangxi Campaign, launched to punish anyone suspected of aiding the Doolittle raiders in China. Roughly 250,000 Chinese will be killed.

PTO - Alaska: Japanese troops begin landing on Kiska Island. US 11th Air Force planes search the sea from Cold Bay to Umnak Island looking for the Japanese fleet but mistakenly attack a Soviet freighter.

PTO - Australia: Day 7 of 9 of the Battle at Sydney Harbor.

PTO - Malaya: Day 108 of 357 of the Battle of Timor Island.

PTO - Midway: Day 3 of 4 of the Battle of Midway. Japanese sub I-168 attacks the USS YORKTOWN and USS HAMMANN. The HAMMANN sinks immediately, while the YORKTOWN will remain afloat for another day. US 7th Air Force B-17s maintain their search for the Japanese fleet. Six B-17s mistakenly attack a US submarine, which later reports no damage.

1943 — , June 6

USA: Day 7 of 9 of the Los Angeles Zoot Suit Riots. The rioting escalates and spreads into East Los Angeles. Thousands are involved, injuries mount up and arrests of Pachucos are made.

Russian Front - North: Day 637 of 872 of the Siege of Leningrad.

Russian Front - North: Day 398 of 658 of the Siege of the Kholm Pocket.

MTO - Italy: Day 16 of 20 of the naval and aerial bombardment of Pantelleria Island.

MTO - Italy: US 9th Air Force hits targets in Sicily, Sardinia and on Pantelleria Island.

Japanese light bombers attack the airfield at Liangshan destroying 12 P-40s on the ground. Captain Chow Chin-kai jumps into a P-66 and shoots down 3 of the bombers. Chow is later awarded the Order of Blue Sky and White Sun for this action.

US 14th Air Force attacks targets at Tangyang and Puchi and the airfields at Shasi and Pailochi.

PTO: Day 11 of 47 adrift in a raft for the survivors of B-24 GREEN HORNET that crashed 850 miles from Hawaii.

PTO - Alaska: Day 365 of 435 of the Battle of Kiska, Aleutian Islands.

PTO - Dutch East Indies: US 5th Air Force hits the town of Koepang and the airfield at Penfoei.

PTO - New Guinea: Day 46 of 148 of the 2nd Battle of Lae-Salamaua. US 5th and 13th Air Forces provide air support.

PTO - Solomon Islands: The US 13th Air Force along with Navy and Marine fighters attack shipping off Buin.

1944 — , June 6

ETO - France: Day 1 of 49 of Operation OVERLORD, the Allied invasion of Normandy, France, known forever simply as D-Day. It commences with the landing of 155,000 Allied troops on the beaches. Despite high casualties, the Allied soldiers break through the Atlantic Wall, establish a beachhead and push inland in the largest amphibious military operation in history. The events of this day begin the liberation of France, weakening the Nazi hold on Europe with what Eisenhower will call "the fury of an aroused democracy."

Spotlight...

D-Day, 6 June 1944

This photo was taken by a US Army Signal Corps photographer showing the view from a landing craft as American soldiers wait behind the thin shield of the front ramp. Naval gunfire is softening up the beach. In a few moments the ramp will drop open and these troops will be completely exposed to hostile fire from German positions on the cliffs.

Landing supplies at Normandy

This photo gives a good indication of the enormity of Operation OVERLORD.

General Dwight D Eisenhower said, "This operation is not being planned with any alternatives. This operation is planned as a victory, and that's the way it's going to be. We're going down there, and we're throwing everything we have into it, and we're going to make it a success."

It's difficult to overstate the importance of D-Day. It could be said that this day is a true pivot point in world history: All days before were merely a prelude to this day because every day that has unfolded since has been as a direct result of the success of what happened on this day.

To make the operation a success, however, required an incredible amount of planning, preparation, deception, and an overwhelming force of men and material with courage to match.

A sign outside Trinity Church, New York City, 06 Jun 44

News of D-Day electrified the world. At last the Allies had a "second front" in Europe. But nearly a year of hard fighting lay ahead. And a lot of praying.

More on D-Day: Fleet Admiral William D Leahy visits his hometown of Hampton, Iowa, on a well-publicized "sentimental journey" to see relatives and old friends. It is a deception effort to convince the Germans that the invasion of Europe will not take place while such an important officer is out of Washington.

A little more on D-Day: British Company Sergeant-Major Stanley Hollis takes out several German pillboxes during the Normandy invasion, saving the lives of many men. He is the only one awarded the Victoria Cross for actions on the initial day (D-Day) of Operation OVERLORD.

ETO - Holland: Anne Frank writes in her diary, "'This is D-Day,' the BBC announced at 12 o'clock. 'This is the day.' The invasion has begun!... Is this really the beginning of the long-awaited liberation? The liberation we've all talked so much about, which still seems too good, too much of a fairy tale ever to come true?... the best part of the invasion is that I have the feeling that friends are on the way. Those terrible Germans have oppressed and threatened us for so long that the thought of friends and salvation means everything to us!"

ETO - France: Day 1 of 62 of the Battle of Caen, one of the largest cities in Normandy and a strategically important objective.

ETO - France: Day 1 of 25 of the Battle of Cherbourg, a fortified port considered vital to the campaign.

ETO - France: Off the Normandy coast, a German E-boat torpedoes and sinks the WRESTLER. Soon afterward the SVENNER hits a mine and sinks. Both ships were Norwegian destroyers serving in the Royal Navy.

ETO - France: US 8th Air Force B-17s and B-24s bomb targets on the landing beaches ahead of the landing troops. More missions are flown throughout the day to hit tactical targets to assist the ground units.

ETO - France: US 9th Air Force A-20s and B-26s bomb coastal defense batteries, rail and road junctions, bridges and marshalling yards in support of the invasion. Fighters fly sweeps throughout the day in support of the ground troops.

Russian Front - North: Day 126 of 191 of the Battle of the Narva Isthmus, Estonia. Both German and Soviet troops remain locked in their defensive positions.

Russian Front - South: Day 60 of 60 of the Battle of Romania, 1st Jassy Offensive. Axis troops stop the Soviet offensive, forcing them to withdraw.

MTO - Romania: US 15th Air Force B-17s bomb at Galati and Turnu-Severin area while B-24s hit the oil refineries at Ploesti and the marshalling yard at Brasov.

MTO - Italy: Day 2 of 16 of the Battle of the Trasimene Line (north of Rome). Free French troops capture Tivoli. Allied Air Forces provide air support.

CBI - Burma: Day 94 of 166 of the UK's Operation THURSDAY. Monsoon season bogs down all operations.

CBI - Burma: Day 89 of 147 of the Battle of Myitkyina. US 10th Air Force provides air support. Monsoon season bogs down all operations.

CBI - Burma: Day 67 of 302 of the Chinese Salween Offensive. US 14th Air Force provides air support. Monsoon season bogs down all operations.

CBI - China: Day 2,527 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.

Day 51 of 259 of Japan's Operation ICHI-GO.

CBI - India: Day 91 of 118 of the Battle of Imphal-Kohima.

PTO: Between this date and the following three days, the USS HARDER sinks four Japanese destroyers.

PTO - Dutch East Indies: Day 37 of 52 of the Battle of Tarakan Island.

PTO - Japan: US 20th Air Force hits numerous targets in the southern part of Kyushu Island.

PTO - Japan: Day 67 of 83 of the Battle of Okinawa. The Naha airbase is now being used to hit targets on the Japanese main islands.

PTO - New Guinea: Day 527 of 597 of the Battle of New Britain. US 10th Air Force provides air support.

PTO - New Guinea: Day 411 of 481 of the Battle of Western New Guinea. US 10th Air Force provides air support.

PTO - Philippines: Day 229 of 299 of the 2nd Battle of the Philippines, aka the Liberation of the Philippines or the Philippines Campaign.

PTO - Philippines: Day 174 of 244 of the Battle of Luzon. 5th Air Force provides air support.

PTO - Philippines: Day 89 of 159 of the Battle of Mindanao Island. 5th Air Force provides air support.

PTO - Philippines: Day 81 of 135 of the Battle of the Visayas region. US 5th and 7th Air Forces provide air support.

Spotlightsfor June 6th...

1944: D-Day invasion of Nazi-occupied France begins

In our WWII Store...

Saving Private Ryan

DVD, Blu-Ray

An American masterpiece and one of the premier World War II films. The opening depiction of the D-Day landing on Omaha Beach alone makes this the most gut-wrenching, emotionally rocking movie about WWII ever made.

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The Longest Day

DVD - 2 discs

A fascinating look at the massive preparations, mistakes, and random events that determined the outcome of one of the biggest battles in history, told from the perspectives of both sides.

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The Jet Race and the Second World War

Paperback (224 pages)

Three competing jet programs took place in Britain, Germany, and the US during the war, each with its own challenges of wartime limitations, government interest and strategic need.

Day-By-Day listings for June 6 were last modified on Wednesday, January 27, 2016